Detectives have made "immense" progress in the investigation into the Manchester bombing and are confident they have arrested some "key players", Britain's top counter-terror officer has said.

Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said police have made "significant" arrests and "finds" and have got hold of a "large part of the network" being sought over the atrocity.

Mr Rowley said: "They are very significant, these arrests.

"We are very happy we've got our hands around some of the key players that we are concerned about but there's still a little bit more to do."

Fresh raids were carried earlier today as security services brace for more attacks during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan beginning tomorrow.

Islamic State has called on its followers to rise up in an “all-out war” on "infidels” in the West. Saturday marks the start of a 30-day period of fasting and reflection in the Islamic world, which has in recent years seen a large increase in terror attacks.

As detectives revealed the youngest man in custody over the Manchester attack is 18, early-hours searches were on Friday launched at a Manchester barbershop and a takeaway on Merseyside.

Possible detonator of Manchester bomb in a picture released as part of US leaks

It comes amid fears the attacker might have built a second device that is now in the hands of fellow jihadists.

Security sources now believe he assembled the bomb himself after learning his trade in Libya. But the amount of material in his home has led to fears that he could have built more than one device and and distributed them to other British-based extremists.

A security source told the Telegraph: "The worry is there was enough to build two or three bombs and we can't rule that out."

Police today revealed that the eight men in custody "on suspicion of offences contrary to the Terrorism Act" in connection with Monday's atrocity, which killed 22 people - including seven children - are aged between 18 and 38.

Meanwhile, with the General Election campaign resuming, Jeremy Corbyn’s suggestion that Britain’s involvement in military action abroad is linked to the Manchester attack has been condemned as “twisted reasoning” by the Security Minister.

The 22 Manchester attack victims - including seven children

British police have resumed "working closely" with US authorities on the probe after a tense showdown between the allies over leaked intelligence.

After Theresa May warned the transatlantic row risked hampering the "special relationship" between the UK and America, US Secretary of State is making his first official trip to Britain today.

With Britain on critical alert, stay with us for the latest updates today amid the huge operation to dismantle a suspected "network" linked to Abedi.

Rise in local hate crime since attack

A spike in hate crime has hit Manchester in the wake of Monday's suicide bombing, Greater Manchester Police say.

A total of 56 hate crimes were recorded by the force on Wednesday, a significant rise on the 28 reported on Monday.

Chief constable Ian Hopkins said: "Whilst we can't directly link this to the events of Monday night, we are continuing to monitor the situation and support our communities."

"Manchester has come together this week, the public has seen that, they have seen that compassion.

"But it is important that we continue to stand together here, in Greater Manchester.

"Particularly standing together against some of the hateful views that we have seen from a very small minority of the community that have no place here in Greater Manchester."

He added: "I have sent a personal message out to all the faith leaders and places of worship today and have thanked them for the support they have shown and stressed that hate crime will not be tolerated."

'A lot of the risk contained, but still some uncertainty'

"Having made enormous progress and made some significant arrests and had some significant finds, there still remain important lines of inquiry for us to pursue.

"We've got to try to understand everything we can about the dead terrorist, his associates.

"We need to understand the whole network and how they acquired and built the bomb that exploded on Monday night.

"It's going to take a little more time to close down those gaps in our understanding.

"We are working as fast as we can do because everyone wants answers to this."

"We've got a lot of the risk contained but we still have some uncertainty.

"As we chase down those lines of inquiry we will keep this strong policing presence.

"We need to grow our confidence that we have got every component of the network and we have got as full an understanding as possible about how the device was constructed and whether there's any remaining risk.

"Clearly we haven't covered all the territory we want to but we have covered a large part of it.

"Our confidence has been increasing over recent days but there's still more to do to get to the degree of confidence we want."

Tourists gather for the Changing the Guard ceremonyCredit:
John Stillwell/PA

Cameras aloft, tourists crowd around The MallCredit:
John Stillwell/PA

The spokeswoman said a rehearsal for Trooping the Colour - also known as the Queen's Birthday Parade - which was due to be held today had been moved to next Wednesday.

She said: "This decision has been taken by General Officer Commanding London District as preparations were ahead of schedule.

"We take these rehearsals for Queen's Birthday Parade very seriously to ensure we are able to equal and even exceed the standards of excellence expected for this important and high-profile annual event."

In January, it was confirmed Changing the Guard was switching to fixed days in the autumn and winter after security was stepped up in the wake of the Berlin terror attack.

Extra police at Scottish Cup Final in Glasgow

Enhanced policing and security will also be in place for Saturday's Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park in Glasgow.

Police Scotland are asking ticket holders for the match between Celtic and Aberdeen to arrive early to allow for checks, and to not take bags into the stadium.

Superintendent Mark Hargreaves, match commander for the event, said: "Whilst I understand that some people may be inconvenienced by the increased security, public safety is our priority and I am sure everyone in Scotland will co-operate with us and support this.

"There is no specific threat against Scotland, or the Scottish Cup Final; however, people should remain calm but vigilant and report anything suspicious to police."

Great City Games and Great Manchester run to go ahead despite terror threat

Manchester is hosting the Great City Games and Great Manchester run this weekend, putting pressure on the local police force.

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: "There are no military personnel patrolling Manchester but we are therefore able to receive additional armed policing support because of this plan.

"We are using this to help in our efforts enable the Manchester Games and Manchester 10k to go ahead.

"We are working with event organisers and Manchester City Council to review and enhance our safety and security."

The athletics event will go ahead as planned on Friday afternoon and evening. Events start from 4.45pm and run until 7.20pm.

Tillerson: The special relationship will withstand Manchester leaks

Speaking on his first official visit to the UK, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US took "full responsibility" for and "regrets" the leaking of information from the Manchester bombing.

A row erupted between the US and British authorities after a host of sensitive information, including photographs from the scene of the attack, was leaked to American news outlets in the wake of Monday's attack.

Mr Tillerson said: "This special relationship that exists between our two countries will certainly withstand this particular unfortunate event."

Isil calls for more attacks on West at start of Ramadan

European security services are bracing for more attacks during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan beginning tomorrow, after Islamic State called on its followers to rise up in an “all-out war” on "infidels” in the West, reports Middle East Correspondent Josie Ensor in Beirut.

“Muslim brothers in Europe who can’t reach the Islamic State lands, attack them in their homes, their markets, their roads and their forums,” the jihadist group said in a message entitled Where are the lions of war? and published on YouTube.

Defending themselves after the suicide attack on Manchester Arena, which left 22 mostly children and teenagers dead, the group said: “Do not despise the work. Your targeting of the so-called innocents and civilians is beloved by us and the most effective, so go forth and may you get a great reward or martyrdom in Ramadan.”

Last year, Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, the late Isil spokesman, issued a call to arms to followers to carry out lone wolf attacks during the holy month. It was the bloodiest Ramadan month on record.

Isil took credit for a lone jihadist gunman, an Afghan American who perpetrated America’s deadliest mass shooting in history and worst terrorism on US soil since 9/11 during early morning hours of June 12 at an Orlando gay nightclub, killing 49 and wounding 53.

An Islamist jihadist then stabbed a police officer and his wife in a Paris suburb in front of their son. The killer explicitly claimed in a live broadcast of the murder that he was responding to Adnani’s call.

Later that month, three Isil suicide bombers opened fire then blew themselves up at Istanbul’s main airport, killing 45 and wounding more than 250.

The final global body count after the month-long rampage was 421 dead and 729 wounded.

Hitting multiple targets in many different countries is designed to send the message that no person on earth is safe or can be protected from terrorism.

Speaking after chairing a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee, Home Secretary Amber Rudd disclosed that the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre has assessed that the terror threat level should remain at critical while the "live" police operation continues.

The rating was raised to critical, the highest level, for the first time in a decade in the wake of the Manchester outrage. It indicates that an attack may be imminent.

Jeremy Corbyn: It's not unpatriotic to question British foreign wars after Manchester attack

Jeremy Corbyn has denied he is being unpatriotic by claiming that the deployment of British troops overseas is linked to the suicide bombing of a pop concert in Manchester, reports Christopher Hope and Laura Hughes.

"We are working closely with both the Football Association (FA) and Wembley to ensure this weekend’s iconic football matches pass off without incident.

"Together we have a long history of delivering safe and secure major sporting events. The focus is the safety and security of fans.

"Anyone coming to the FA Cup Final or the other play off matches over the weekend will see an increase in police numbers in and around the stadium.

“This will include extra armed officers on foot patrol around the environs of the Stadium, and the deployment of police armoured vehicles to support road closures.

“At Twickenham rugby fans will see more armed officers on foot around the stadium.

“If you have a ticket for any of the matches please help us out. Arrive earlier as there will be additional security and entry searches which may take a bit longer than fans are used to.

“Our operations will include a range of highly visible but also covert and discrete tactics and this will run far beyond the final whistle and away from specific stadia. This will also apply right throughout the transport network."

Barbershop raided by police 'has not opened since Arena bombing'

The owner of a shop next door to a barbershop raided by armed police overnight in Moss Side said the premises involved has not opened since Monday's suicide bombing at the Manchester Arena.

It is understood that an armed response unit arrived at the Fade Away shop in Princess Road in the early hours of Friday and that the shutter to the barbershop was cut open at about 5.15am to gain access to the front door.

A cordon was then placed around the building at 6am and stretched to an adjoining chemist, cafe and upstairs flats. The cordon was lifted at 10.40am.

A marked police van is parked outside the store next to a bus stop with a number of uniformed officers guarding the cordon.

A detective removes items from a barbers shop in Moss SideCredit:
Christopher Furlong/Getty

West Indian-born Byron Gibbs, 79, who has run Gibbs Hardware for the past 33 years, said that the shop next door had opened about 12 months ago.

He said a number of men appeared to work there but had never come into his shop to buy anything.

He said: "I never go there to talk to them, I don't have my hair cut there. Everyone round here has noticed that the shop has not opened since Monday and they usually open every day, including Sundays."

Mr Gibbs said he had recognised the face of suicide bomber Abedi from the television.

Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi

He said: "I have seen him a few times just walking past in the street. I don't know if he used this barbershop or he is involved with anyone there.

"We're all shocked around here about what happened on Monday and how close we are to all this. You don't know who these people are."

Earlier, Greater Manchester Police said they were searching a property in Moss Side in connection with Monday's attack and had also arrested a man in the area.

A spokesman said: "The search is being carried out at a separate property to the address where a man was arrested earlier this morning."

The money raised from the Manchester show, at the O2 Ritz on May 30, will be donated to the Manchester Evening News' British Red Cross appeal, which was set up to help relatives of those affected by the tragedy.

Speaking to the paper about his decision, he said: "I just knew I had to. I'm not in it for the money. The gig was going to happen anyway and we all have to do what we can. I want to try and help pick people up. People like me, doing what we do, it's our duty to give people a good time."

Jeremy Corbyn’s suggestion that Britain’s involvement in military action abroad is linked to terror attacks like the Manchester suicide bomb has been condemned as “twisted reasoning” by the Government’s Security Minister.

Mr Corbyn will deliver a speech in London this morning in which he will point to "the connections between wars the Government has supported or fought in other countries and terrorism here at home".

But Ben Wallace said the timing of Mr Corbyn’s speech is “appalling” and “crass” as he rejected the idea that there is a link between UK foreign policy and terror.

Ben Wallace, the Security MinisterCredit:
JULIAN SIMMONDS for The Telegraph

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I’m sitting here in Manchester, a place where 21 years ago the IRA detonated a bomb that injured 212 people.

“That was the last terrorist act in Manchester. They are all terrorists. We have to be unequivocal that no amount of excuses, no amount of twisted reasoning about a foreign policy here or a foreign policy there can be an excuse.

“The reality is these people hate our values. You only have to look at their propaganda to realise.”

End of control orders to monitor terror suspects a 'grave mistake'

A former independent terror watchdog has said it was a "grave mistake" to abolish control orders to monitor terrorism suspects.

Lord Carlile said the sweeping powers "may have saved dozens of lives" between 2005 and 2011.

The independent peer and top QC also urged Theresa May to use their replacements "to their full effect now", with just a handful of people currently subject to terrorism prevention and investigation measures (TPIMs).

Control orders restricted the freedom of terrorism suspects and could be used to force people to move or restrict their use of phones and computers.

But they were abolished by the coalition government in 2012 amid concerns over their impact on civil liberties. Lord Carlile told BBC Radio 4's Today programme:

"In my view control orders worked very well in the period between 2005 and 2011. Although they were criticised for breaching civil liberties, in fact they were upheld by the courts, every control order was subject to automatic review by senior judges.

"Fifty-three people were placed on control orders, 23 of them with relocation requirements and restrictions on their use of the internet and so on.

"I believe that may have saved dozens of lives and my view is that it was a grave mistake by the coalition government to remove control orders and to produce something more dilute. I do wish at least that TPIMs would be used to their full effect now."

TPIMs place restrictions on those suspected of being involved in terrorism, but where there is not enough evidence to charge or deport them.

Just seven people are subject to TPIMs at the moment, Lord Carlile said, adding that they were "better than nothing".

Lord Carlile was previously a Liberal Democrat peer but quit the party given its stance on security issues.

Pictures: Police raid barbershop after smashing open shutters

A police cordon is in place around the Fade Away barbershop in Princess Road, Moss Side, after a police raid early today.

The shutters were down on the shop but part of it appeared to have been smashed open to gain access to the front door. A cordon was then placed around the building at 6am, which stretches to an adjoining chemist, cafe and upstairs flats.

A marked police van is parked outside the store next to a bus stop with a number of officers guarding the cordon.

A police officer outside a barber's shop in Moss Side that was raided by officers in ManchesterCredit:
DARREN STAPLES/Reuters

A police officer is reflected in the window of a barber's shop in Moss Side as plain clothes officers search insideCredit:
DARREN STAPLES/Reuters

Meanwhile, Merseyside Police said a search of a property - believed to be leased to a pizza takeaway - in St Helens is complete.

A spokesman said: "This phase of the operation is still in its infancy. There is currently no specific threat to Merseyside."

Superintendent Louise Harrison said:

"I understand that this kind of activity can cause concern for people living in nearby communities and would like to thank them for their understanding and patience.

“As a result of today’s operation, Merseyside Police is working very closely with community groups, community leaders, partner agencies and individuals to make sure concerns are addressed and that we provide the best possible service to local people.

“Over the coming days and weeks we will be continuing to work with our local communities to address any concerns they may have. We always need the public’s help to defeat terrorism by being extra vigilant and letting us know of any suspicious behaviour or activity.”

“Terrorists want to create discord in our communities, but Merseyside has a long history of our communities living and working together. This is a time for us all to work closely together and unite against those who seek, through violence and extremism, to divide us.

“Public safety is the paramount concern for the police and will continue to be our top priority and we have a duty to act and protect the public. We cannot be complacent and cannot take chances in situations such as this and police and the security services must act on information received.”

Sources believe Abedi may have used the £75 a night apartment to put all the components of the device together, before heading off late on Monday evening to make his way to the Manchester Arena where he killed 22 people.

The use of two addresses to assemble the device was a tactic used by the 7/7 bombers who also spent months learning how to build a bomb at a training camp in Pakistan.

Former Metropolitan Police officer, David Videcette, who helped investigate the tube bombings said it was likely Abedi had spent many months abroad practising how to assemble a device before returning to the UK.

He said: "This is not something you can just put together by reading a book or watching a YouTube video. He will have spent time at a camp somewhere, possibly in Libya, being shown how to do it. "But once you have the skills and the materials, assembling the device itself can be done fairly quickly."

Where the new searches are taking place

St Helens

Greater Manchester Police said officers have been carrying out searches at an address in the St Helens area of Merseyside this morning.

A spokesman said: "These searches are connected to Monday’s attack on the Manchester Arena, but this is a fast moving investigation and we are keeping an open mind at this stage."

Moss Side

Officers are also searching an address at a property in Moss Side in connection with the attack on the Manchester Arena on Monday.

The search is being carried out at a separate property to the address where a man was arrested earlier this morning.

A police spokesman said: "As it stands ten people in total have been arrested in connection with the investigation, of which a man and a woman have since been released without charge. Eight men remain in custody for questioning."

The Labour leader is expected to make a veiled attack on the Conservatives for underfunding the police service at a time of heightened threat, while linking Britain's overseas military campaigns with terrorism at home.

Mark Rowley, the UK's most senior counter-terrorism officer, confirmed British chiefs had "received fresh assurances" from their overseas counterparts that they could be trusted with confidential material.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said she expected the "critical" assessment of the terror threat - suggesting a fresh attack may be imminent - to remain in place in the coming days.

Ms Rudd told BBC1's Question Time: "During this period of 'critical', which we hope will only last for a few days - it could be longer, it will depend on the operation - we've pulled out additional support from the Army so we can go about our normal life."

The developments followed a fraught day in which Greater Manchester Police severed intelligence-sharing ties with the US due to evidence being repeatedly passed to journalists without permission.

"While we do not usually comment on information-sharing arrangements with international law enforcement organisations, we want to emphasise that, having received fresh assurances, we are now working closely with our key partners around the world including all those in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance," Mr Rowley said.

Abedi, who was known to security services for his radical views, was said to have been in close contact with family members moments before slaughtering concert-goers on Monday.

Music fans were targeted at an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena in the worst terrorist attack on British soil since the July 7 bombing in London in 2005.

As Abedi's route to mass murder continued to be probed:

Downing Street announced the Government's emergency Cobra committee will meet in Whitehall on Friday morning to discuss the latest developments, chaired by the Home Secretary.

Officers also carried out searches at properties in Manchester, Wigan and Nuneaton. A bomb disposal unit returned to the Wigan address on Thursday night so experts could examine "potentially suspicious items".

British investigative efforts remained focused on smashing the potential terror ring which may have assisted Abedi, despite the belief of Libyan authorities that he acted alone.

Twenty-three people remained in critical care across eight hospitals. They included five children at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

British Transport Police announced that specialist firearms officers are to patrol on trains nationwide for the first time.

NHS England warned health organisations to "ensure care is in place should it be needed" as Britain remained on high alert in the run-up to the bank holiday weekend.

A man and a woman arrested as part of the probe were released without charge.

At the Nato summit in Brussels, Theresa May confronted Donald Trump with her concerns about security lapses which allowed crucial evidence to be handed to US journalists by his officials.

He vowed to investigate, calling the leaks "deeply troubling" and warning the sources of the security lapse could be prosecuted.

In the years leading up to Monday's attack, it was said Abedi was known to security services, but his risk to the public remained "subject to review" and MI5 considered him a "former subject of interest", a Whitehall source said.

Police hunting the "network" behind his attack said they had made "significant" arrests and seized "very important" items in raids.

Emergency services on the night and aftermath of the Manchester attack were criticised by the widower of one victim, who accused them of leaving families in the dark.

Steve Howe, whose wife Alison, 45, died as she was waiting to collect their daughter from the concert, told Channel 4 News: "I gave them all the details, all the information from security in the arena, no-one has rang us... I was so frustrated."